The Crow:Retribution
by THE Xenomorph
Summary: Vengeance comes on crimson and black wings for those who have adandoned Gaia. Crow WoD Xover, revised and reformatted. All forms of Reviews are welcome, no flames.
1. 1

**The Crow: Retribution**

**By Xenomorph666**

**The Crow is © James O'Barr**

**Garou and all other W.o.D. related articles are © White Wolf Publishing**

**All other Characters are © me and their Real life counterparts**

Chapter 1

Memory

"Life sucks, it's as simple as that", my best friend said as I looked up from my book.  "I mean how else can you explain this COMPUTER beating me eight times in a row?!"

I look back down at my book and quickly memorized the page position and phrase.  

"Give it here..." I say.  He shoots me his "Oh think you can do better, huh?" look.   I ignore it and take the controller.  I demolish the computer-controlled character in little more than thirty seconds.  

"I hate you..."   He shoots a playful glare at me.

"Yea, well you're the one who chose the game..."

"Because you said you where in the mood for violence!"

I flip out my knife.  A gift my mom gave me before I moved downtown, never quite understood why though...

"I said I was in the mood for "SILENCE".  Get a new cell phone man..."  I flip my knife back and set it down.

He looks back at the game and smiles, "My bad!" he continues playing.  I return to my book.  

"How do you do it anyway?" he asks after awhile.

"What?"

"Memorize all the moves and positions..."

"Photographic memory," I look up from the book, "remember?"

"Yeah, I remember... So... How much money do I owe you?"

"In real life or online?"

"Smart ass."  

"Dumbass"

He flips me off; I smack him with the book, a knock at the door

He looks at me quizzically, "You expecting anyone?"  

"Yea, another torture session with Ms. Dyslexic..." I get up and go to the door

"Hey, don't bash one her, she's hot!"  He shouts from the couch

"Also out of your league.  Remember that the next time you try your X-Ray photo lab... oh and Mitch, her boyfriend will kill you if you try it again."

" ... But aren't you her..."  

"Yea"

Silence as he realizes he's been caught

"Sorry..." a meek voice says

I open the door, to see my girlfriend, Alisha Tannen.  She's beautiful, and I mean beautiful.  Basically she's a Jessica Alba look-a-like, her only flaw:  dyslexia, BIG TIME.   I met her ten months ago when her brother hired me to help he overcome her "small disability" as he put it.  I fell in love with her the minute I saw her.   However, I was a big time hacker, literature grad and all around hermit, so it took a move from her side to get things going, mainly her mother (God bless that woman), somehow she had arranged for us to end up at the same club together.  We hit it off from there.  

She walks in all smiles, "Hey Coleman, guess what I got?"

This is never good, she loves guessing games, and she also knows I suck at them... I'm much better at memorizing things, "What?" I say.

"AN A PLUS, ON HISTORY!" she jumps up and down shrieking in delight.  My mouth is currently only three feet from the ground.  And I hear the sound of a controller hit the ground.

"You're kidding." Perhaps I should explain, an A for Alisha is like the Titanic suddenly sprouting wings.  It's not supposed to happen

"Nope!" she wrapped her arms around me and gave me a huge hug

Mitch rounded the corner to the door, "If I say 'Dinner at Mitsu's'?"

I sprang to action, "I say 'You're paying'!"

"DAMN RIGHT I AM!" he may be an ass ninety percent of the time, but the other ten, he's a great guy.  This was thankfully one of those times.

I looked up and we all went to the garage, we piled into my car. Mitch wanted to meet us there by taking his motorcycle, but I insisted that he ride with us.   

The dinner was great, not one thing went wrong and Mitch was making some progress in getting his favorite waitress's number, by the end of the meal, he had it.  

"Another, trophy?" Alisha asked mockingly

Mitch did his best to act shocked and amazed; he even put on his fake English accent, heh, actors, go figure.

We left, and Mitch for the most part did pay, except for the sake, I insisted on paying for that.  We made our way to the car when Alisha noticed that she forgot her purse.  I ran back in to get it.  

When I came out the lot was empty,  no-one was there, they loved to surprise me, I hated it more than a guessing game.  

"Come on out guys." I wheel around several times trying to get used to sake in my system, "THIS ISN'T FUNNY!"

I hear a light grunt come from a nearby alleyway.  I walk over to see a man blocking the way.  He just grinned, and yelled into the back part of the alley, "Hey boss, the short ones here!" 

That's when it hits me, the brick and the fact that this guy and god knows how many else have taken Alisha and Mitch prisoner.  As I hit the ground, I feel myself lifted up by the man blocking the alley way.  I decide to struggle but I end up being tossed in to a light pole.  For some reason this turns the light on and I can see their faces, all five of them; I memorize them all, it can definitely help the police.  

The tall one that blocked the alley spoke, "Might want to be careful buddy, your little girlyfriend might not like that."   I look down and see Alisha's leg and I spring to my feet, half expecting to see her raped or worse.  Instead I see her belly split open and her neck slit.  I spin around to see my friend hanging from a steel pole, two of the gang members feeding his organs to a large wolf.  I fall to the ground and instantly throw-up.  When I look up again, I see the large wolf attempting to stand on its legs, then it grows bigger and bigger until it could only be described as a...

"Werewolf", I say my thought out loud.


	2. 2

**The Crow: Retribution**

**By Xenomorph666**

**The Crow is © James O'Barr**

**Garou and all other W.o.D. related articles are © White Wolf Publishing**

**All other Characters are © me and their Real life counterparts**

**Chapter 2**

**Why did I memorize the pain, why?**

I woke with a start.  Darkness all around me.  Fear, panic.  I kick upwards in utter fear.  I break through my wooden barrier only to find dirt in my way.  I was buried...  DEAR GOD I WAS BURIED ALIVE!.

-No, not alive.-

I ignore the voice in my head and start scratching my way up.   Fear driving me.  When I break through I see that I am in a graveyard.  I look around, confused.  And I see it a big black bird, perched on a headstone.   MY headstone.  

-Yes.-

I look around for the voice.

-Ummm, back here... on the stone.-

I look back at the bird.

"I hate surprises...", it's all I can say. 

-Then this is going to be hell for you my friend.-

"What is?"  

-Remembering.-

It only then occurs to me that I don't remember who I am.  I look at the headstone.

"Coleman, that's my name?"

The bird nods, at least I think it was a nod.

-Follow me.-

"To where?"

-To the others-  

The bird leads me through the graveyard to another grave, it lands on it motioning for me to read it.

"You're a crow aren't you?"

-No, you're The Crow, a soul unable to rest, due to great tragedy, and great love.-

I look at the crow, then bend down and touch the headstone.  And it comes back to me.  

The love for Alisha

My jackass friend

My MEMORY

THE PAIN OF THE KNIFE

Death....

I look up at the crow.

"Just tell me one thing."

-What?-

"Where's the nearest silver mine?"

The bird just cocks its head curiously

-Why?-

"Can you see my visions?"

-No, they are your memories, not mine.-

"Then do you know what a werewolf is?"

-Yes.-

"That's why I need silver..."

-No, you don't, you are worse than silver.-

There is a long silence.  I decide to break it

"W-where is she buried?"

­-At her home plot.  Why?-

I need to see her grave, to apologize to her family.  I swore I would protect her... I failed.  "Great... take me there"


	3. 3

**The Crow: Retribution**

**By Xenomorph666**

**The Crow is © James O'Barr**

**Garou and all other W.o.D. related articles are © White Wolf Publishing**

**All other Characters are © me and their Real life counterparts**

**Chapter 3**

**Pain of the Living**

I find Alisha's house with no problem, well except one... my clothes are still the ones from the funeral home.  Not the best way to greet your dead girlfriend's parents.  I decide to sneak into her brother's room, he always kept the window open.  Tonight was no different, thankfully he was also out.  I find a pair of black slacks and a black turtleneck, they're a little large on me but I don't care.  

I hear footsteps and I hide.  Rod, Alisha's brother comes in kissing a strange girl.  No surprise to me, he's a player.  He stops in the middle of the room and looks at his closet.  I forgot to close it, shit...

Thankfully he thinks it was his mother looking for his stash.  He takes the girl downstairs to confront her.  I decide to take this chance to re-introduce myself.  

-That's not a good idea.-

"I need their permission to see her grave."

-That doesn't matter.-  

"Have you ever been in love?"

-No...-

"Then how the hell can you tell me that?!"

The bird is silent.

-Alright.  It's not like I can stop you anyway.-

I make my way to their dining room.  Apparently Rod, really wasn't into my little raid on his clothes.  I decide to hide myself in the shadows until the right time.  That time comes when the whole family turns away from each other in disgust.  The crow flies out into the middle of the table.  Everyone looks.

"How the hell did that get in here?", Alisha's father asks to no-one

I answer, "The same way I did.  Through Rod's window."

I step out from the shadows.  Their eyes grow wide with fear.  Alisha's grandmother starts praying in Spanish.  Gotta love those old Spanish ladies.  Rod's jaw drops as far as mine did that night.  Her father pales with recognition, her mother faints.  

"Rod, your mouth is open..."

He closes his mouth and invited me to sit.  A long awkward silence ensues,  her father now is scowling at me with anger.  I don't blame him, I lower my head in shame letting it hit the table.  The silence continues until her mother comes to.  Then her father speaks.

"You failed, you coward!  We thought you where dead this WHOLE TIME!" 

I raise my hand to stop him from going into a tangent.  

"I am dead Señor Tanner, I died with them.  I saw them ripped apart.  And now I'm back."

"¿Por qué?", her grandmother asked.

"Retribution.", the room grew silent.  Her father smiled.  He understood.

"This way." he motioned for me to follow I could still feel a whelming fear in his soul,  he was always good at hiding his feelings..

He lead me to her grave, there I hit my knees.  It was in her favorite spot.  A spot where we had laid many times to stare at the stars.  And now she lay there permanently.

-I'll never understand humans and their connections to each other... Are you ready now?-

The crow's voice boomed in my head

-Then touch the headstone.-

I did as I was told and I got a surprise.  One that made my blood boil with an unholy delight, a vision of a mask.  I knew of only one place to get it done....


	4. 4

**The Crow: Retribution**

**By Xenomorph666**

**The Crow is © James O'Barr**

**Garou and all other W.o.D. related articles are © White Wolf Publishing**

**All other Characters are © me and their Real life counterparts**

**Chapter 4**

**Mask of Destiny**

I made my way through the city streets.  I was on my way to the "Goth Corridor".  It was a part of town full of night clubs bars and tattoo parlors.  I walked into the nearest tattoo parlor with the sketch I had drawn.  When I entered the customers and artists looked at me, then back to what they where doing.  I waited until near closing to approach the owner.

"Sorry, buddy.  Closing soon."

I hand him a twenty.

"Bought yourself five minutes, start talking."

"I want this", I show him the sketch, "Tattooed on my face in one day."

He starts to laugh until he realizes I'm serious.  "Hey listen joker, I don't know what you think you can buy with a twenty, but that's not it!"

I flip out a wad of cash, money Alisha's father gave to me for support.  It was close to five-thousand dollars.  It also almost made me question his businesses legality.   But that didn't matter to me now, I only wanted retribution.

"Listen man, I'm sorry but I can't you know how it is.  Just to tired." He smiles and turns away.  I pocket my money and walk to the door.  I only open it for a second when the crow comes in.  It lands smack dab in front of him and caws but once.  The man goes pale and his face contorts into a hideous ugly fang filled mouth.  Just not the kind of fangs I was expecting.  This guy was a freaking VAMPIRE!  He lunged at me with a look of fear and hate in his eyes.  I just sidestep him and slam his face into the wall.  He goes out like a light.

When he comes to I make sure he's secured to on of his parlor chairs.  And of course he's ready to kill me.  I just smack him over the head with a metal tray.

"Listen, you little blood sucking maggot.  I don't CARE who or WHAT you are. I just want this tattooed.  Got it?"

"Fuck off bird-boy!"

"I see we are going to have to do this the hard way then..."

I grab the near by tattooing needle and start it up.  I aim it for his eyes.

"You see, I can't feel pain.  You on the other hand, are quite vulnerable to it.  Am I right?"

I lower it closer, he starts to sweat.

I lower it more, fear in his eyes.

Almost to the eye.

"ALRIGHT I'LL DO IT!"

I lift it away from his eye smiling like a maniac.  

"Let's get to it then!"


	5. 5

**The Crow: Retribution**

**By Xenomorph666**

**The Crow is © James O'Barr**

**Garou and all other W.o.D. related articles are © White Wolf Publishing**

**All other Characters are © me and their Real life counterparts**

**Chapter 5**

**The Mask of Sanity**

The vampire finished his work, it may have taken thirty six hours but it was done.  I go up and out of the chair and paid the fool.  He only had a confused look on his face.

"What?  Don't tell me it's not enough…"

"Oh it's enough bird boy.  In fact too much…"  He stares at me afraid to speak, "I only charge fifteen hundred for a face job…"

I stop to think about my small financial predicament.  I might need that money, but I doubt this greased up vampire knows how to break two-thousand dollars in fifties.  It takes me only a few minutes and a reminder from the crow to come up with a solution.  "Tell me what you know about, werewolves?"  I let my question linger in the air as I smile and wait for an answer.

"Dogs, you wanna know about dogs?  I'll tell you about dogs."  He says this in a now relaxed English accent.  He sits down on his stool.  "wolfies hang out round the edge of town mostly, sometimes in the parks.  But the weird ones, well, some of'em come down 'ere and start a ruckus evry now and again…"  

I cut him off.  "Just give me the name of a local hang out, werewolf owned shop, or crime lords that grows fur every full moon.  That's all I need."

"Local hang out would be in the center of town, called the "St. George" it's a "gentlemen's" club.  If you get my drift."

"Werewolf owned shops?"

He stands up looking at me like I'm a maniac, he doesn't know how right he is right now.  "Naw, mate ya don't wanna do that.  Then all them wolfies will be after ya.  Better to have on tribe then the whole lot of'em."

"Well, I say I don't give damn and you'd better tell me or we're right back where we started…"  I twirl the needle around my fingers, he glances at it anxiously.

"Alright, alright.  Herbal shop right on the edge of the Corridor.  It's owned by one of them "nice, nice" dogs.  You could ask her the location of every damn dog and she'd give it to you."

"Providing?"

"Providin', you got a pulse.  Which I seriously doubt you 'ave!"

I get up to leave.  "Oh and before I go… Local Crime leader?"

He goes paler than my mask.  "Now that,  you should steer clear of.  The freak wolf HATES humans and so do 'is crummy friends.  Christ half the dogs 'ere think he and his friends killed those kids almost a year ago."

"Kids?"  

"Yeah three of'em. two guys and a girl.  Woo, now that was one MESSY death, 'specialy for the guy they say had no organs left.  They prolly ate'em!",  He laughed like a merry sailor.  I closed the door and walked back to him, his laughing stopped as I grabbed him by the collar and lifted him into the air.

"DO YOU KNOW WHO THEY ARE?" I yell at him.

"Yeah, man, yeah!!!"

"THEN FIND THEM AND TELL THEM THIS: RETRIBUITION COMES FOR THEM NO PRAYER, NO GODDES CAN STAVE THE NEED FOR VENGEANCE!" I slam the vampire into the parlors wall and storm out.  The crow perches on my shoulder.

-About time.-

"Does it matter?"

-Not really, but we like these things to be short and sweet.  You know, like it never happened.-

"A bird with a sense of humor… how droll" 

-Maybe but I get to… uh…uh… damn,  you win…-

"We were arguing?"  I look at the bird confused.

-Maybe, I don't know.  You're the first soul for me to bring back… I'm not quite sure how it goes.-

"Great, I get stuck with an amateur…" I walk into the night ready to find out exactly who the hell killed us.


	6. 6

**The Crow: Retribution**

**By Xenomorph666**

**The Crow is © James O'Barr**

**Garou and all other W.o.D. related articles are © White Wolf Publishing**

**All other Characters are © me and their Real life counterparts**

**Chapter 6**

**Painful past**

"So?" I say looking at the bird while I walk down the street, "Where to first?"

-What does you're gut tell you?-

"It tells me I wanna see a saint about a snake."

-Look who's being droll now.-

"Its called dark humor, moron."

-Oh.  I'll go scout a head a bit.-

"Good riddance."

I walk silently along the streets waiting for something to trigger a memory, anything.  It takes awhile but I come to an alley.  An alley I know all to well, I enter it knowing something well help me.  I look down at my feet and see a purse.  I pick it up, nothing comes to me.  I open it, I find a tissue, still nothing.  I rummage through it continually, but still nothing comes to me.  I sit down feeling defeated.  

-Don't feel bad.  It's been almost a year.  There's no evidence there, nothing.-

I can't accept what the crow is saying, so I just sit there trying to remember.  Eventually I lay down trying to position my self the way I was when I died.  And my leg touched something.  I look to see a piece of paper crumpled up.  I pick it up and

_I see Mitch smiling as he finally gets the waitresses number_

_Then they alley and a scream for help.__  Mitch and Alisha run to help._

_Their faces, the werewolves all in human form.___

_Then I enter._

_Then I die._

_Now I remember who they were._

_I__ remember all five of them:_

_The tall Arabic man that blocked the alley.___

_The Red haired man who fed Mitch's innards to the wolf.___

_The raven haired twins who put Mitch on the pole._

_The wolf, the man who looked like a cave man.  The man that killed Alisha.  _

"They're DEAD!", I scream as I burst out of the alley.  I had their faces.  I had their lives.


	7. 7

**The Crow: Retribution**

**By Xenomorph666**

**The Crow is © James O'Barr**

**Garou and all other W.o.D. related articles are © White Wolf Publishing**

**All other Characters are © me and their Real life counterparts**

**Chapter 7**

**Amateur night at the St. George**

When the crow finally found the St. George it came back to guide me to it.  I took the back way in.  If anyone here had information I was going to have to beat it out of them.  I walked in through the back and found that most of the patrons where, shall we say a bit "hairy".  They all took notice of me, but no-one did anything until I was smack dab in the middle of the room.  A large black furred werewolf stood in my way.  

"We don't like bloodsuckers here, corpse", he spat on my boots.

I lifted my face for him to get a good look at it.  "Do I look like I suck blood, Rin-Tin-Tin?", a few of the lycanthropes giggled, others just shook their head as though I was a dead man.  Ironic, no?

The werewolf's stunned look quickly turned to a look of contorted rage as he roared in my face.

"Whoa!  Man I'd go see a dentist about those teeth, they look decayed."

He took a swipe at me.  I blocked and punched him square in the chest, I sent him sailing into a wall.  He was out cold.  Of course the fact that a picture frame conked him on the head helped.  That's when the rest of the club rose to their furry feet and I do mean "furry".  At first I thought an explanation might be in order.  Then I decided fighting might make for a better chance of survival.

Thankfully a tall bronze haired woman entered just at the moment the others were about to attack.  

"You won't harm him."  She said solemnly with a thick Irish accent. 

Another large black werewolf spoke "He attacked first, the corpse will pay!"

"Should I say it slower?  You  Caaaannn't kiiiillll hiiiiiiim.", she took a sip of a beer

"What would a Ragabash know?" 

Needless to say at this point I'm a little more than confused.

"I know the legends, I know the mask, I know the face, and I know a Galliard."

At the last mention the room seems to settle.  But not much, and two large brown werewolves grab me by the shoulders.  I brush them off.  They grab me again.  I brush them off again.  They grab me again.  I break their arms.  The room is back to normal.

Another woman walks, this time raven haired, she almost reminds of one of the twins.  So much to the point that I have to physically restrain myself.  She speaks in almost singing voice.  

"Yes, he is dead.  But not how you think Ahroun.  He is back only to set the wrong things right. To put justice to the name of his killers.  For Retribution.  For revenge."  

Her little song seems to set the room against me even more.  I get ready for a fight.  Then the crow perches on my shoulder and half the room backs off.  The other half just wet them selves.

"Follow me, child.  I shall help you seek what is wrong."  The raven haired woman says to me.  I'm not sure why but I feel I must trust her and the crow doesn't protest, so I follow.

"If he is back for vengeance, why does he come here, to us?"

She speaks once more; "Do you think it is only the vampires who take human lives?  If so, you are thicker in the head than..." she stopped speaking and led me away.

As I left I took notice of the club.  It was a gentleman's club.   I'll have to beat some sense into that vampire later…


	8. 8

**The Crow: Retribution**

**By Xenomorph666**

**The Crow is © James O'Barr**

**Garou and all other W.o.D. related articles are © White Wolf Publishing**

**All other Characters are © me and their Real life counterparts**

**Chapter 8**

**A mother's guilt**

The woman took me across town to a store; from the looks of it this was going to be my next stop anyway.  The store looks like an herbal shop on the outside, but on the inside it is much different.  Antiques line the walls and are scattered about the floor.  I see a mirror, and in it my new reflection, my mask looks almost exactly like what the crow showed me in the vision with one minor detail changed: the black parts are now red that fade to black and half my face looks like I'm crying tears of blood.  She takes me to the back of the shop and motions for me to sit in a chair at a round table; she sits opposite of me.  I sit there waiting and staring at her.  She speaks first.

"They are my daughters.  The two girls you seek." tears form in her eyes.

"My condolences…" My tone is flat unwavering.  I didn't care; they were dead as far as I was concerned.

"I know that they must die, I know no Garou can stop you.  But I beg of you take them first!"

Now this shocked me, a mother who wanted her children to die, but I'm also curious.  "Why?"

"They are corrupted, my daughters.  Their whole pack is, but no Garou has been able to stand up against their leader."

"Let me guess his name is "Red Talon"…"

"No…" she gets up and grabs a folder.  "His name is Fangs-of-Blood, his tribe is the Red Talons, and they hate all humans."  She tosses me the folder.  I open it and look at its contents, then back to her.

"You knew I was coming back?"

"I prayed that one of their victims would come back.  You are but one of many.  And I am afraid my prayer it may have…" she stops staring at her feet.

"May have what?  Cursed me?  Made me a psycho, cuz I have noticed some psychosis."

-Nope, that's normal.-  

"Shut up bird…"

"I fear it may have condemned you to avenge all those slain by the hands of corrupted Garou…"

"And that means what?"  I ask my guiding crow.

-It means we better get comfortable… We might be here awhile…-  I swear If the crow were human I'd say he looked pissed.


	9. 9

**The Crow: Retribution**

**By THE Xenomorph (aka Xenomorph666)**

**The Crow is © James O'Barr**

**Garou** **and all other W.o.D. related articles are © White Wolf Publishing**

**All other Characters are © me and their Real life counterparts**

_**Hunters and Skull Cowboys**_

I had ignored my guide's little worry. It wasn't my place to worry about that anyway, my worries were of those who had killed me and my friends. It was raining now as the bird and I found a shelter. I began sifting through all of the papers soaking in all I could about these killers. She had surprisingly detailed information about them. All of them reigning from different "tribes" as the paper described it, all of them exceedingly deadly.

I was drawn first to the twins, I almost wanted to grant the woman her wish, but it was my vengeance, not hers. And I wanted to work my way up the food chain, to bad according to this they were their bosses' fetish. My first target was one Fredrick McCain, the red haired one, he was a well known serial murder who had never been caught, he was known as the "New Nightmare" because his victims were always shredded, and gee I wonder why?

Thankfully for me the guy was also a drunk, and I mean drunk. When I had tracked him, partly in thanks to the bird, he was busy downing twelve bottles of hard whiskey and he must have broken a previous record because when he was finished the bartender and the bar groupies were all cheering. I was just smiling through the portal like skylight. Too easy.

After he left the bar he started down the street, he was definitely wasted as he walked from side to side and wobbled. I followed him over the roof tops; I was not going to let him catch my scent. As I followed him though I noticed a young hoodlum with a rather determined look on his face follow my target. It was all to clear what his purpose was, he wanted Fredrick McCaine dead.

It appeared that I had some competition now, however brief it would be. I took a leaping dive off the roof and into an alley ahead of them and let Freddy-Boy pass, when the hoodlum came by I yanked him into the alley.

"He's mine." I hissed as I tossed the young man to the ground.

"What the hell!" The young boy looked up and shouted. "LEECH!

"Leech?" I asked. A split second later a flaming crossbow bolt was protruding from my chest. "You mean vampire." I pulled the bolt out and turned to its owner, but there were three.

Three men dressed in trench coats carrying large swords on their backs. One was wearing a black trench coat that almost matched his skin, his sword drawn and ready. The other two were white, typical Aryan white guy with ponytails and an anger problem. Only one held a crossbow and another flaming bolt was loaded.

"What the hell are you supposed to be?" The crossbow wielder asked.

"Me?" I laughed. "I'm just your average walking corpse…" I didn't finish as the other bolt was in my chest. "Jeez, man…" I pulled it out like the last one. "You got anger problems, you know that right?"

"Only when it comes to vamps and wolves." The black guy spoke.

"Well when I see one I'll let you know, but for now this walking case of corpse-ful vengeance would like to rip the werewolf's head off!" I said with a little more exaggeration than I had meant to.

"Corpse-ful vengeance?" The last spoke and pushed his friend's crossbow down. "What would bring a corpse from the dead to seek vengeance?"

As if to answer his question the bird landed on my shoulder.

"How about him?" I pointed to the bird and the men soon backed away in fear. "What you're afraid of the bird?"

"No kid, they're terrified of me." I spun to see a decaying cowboy who was looking at the guys. "Boo!" The men and their little errand boy all ran in fear.

"Jeez, I was just getting to like those guys too." I sighed.

"Trust me, you'll learn to loathe them soon enough." The Cowboy said. "Call me Skull Cowboy."

"Ok, you're Skull Cowboy, and I'm going to kill the werewolf." I pointed to alley's exit.

"Kid, you got more on your plate than most you know that right?" Skull Cowboy asked.

"Let me guess, the bird's right." I smiled.

"You don't seem troubled by that." Skull Cowboy said.

"I don't think much could trouble me right now." I sighed, "But just for kicks when the shock of this whole situation wears off and I'm left hunting other people's problems; how do I get back to Mitch and Alisha?"

"Simple answer is you don't not until the powers that be say you can." Skull Cowboy sighed and sat down as several rats escaped his side. "Long and complicated answer: You wait until the right moment which will probably only present itself at the end of time and end it all."

"Wow…" I blink. "That is complex and long."

"Did I mention you have vampires, hunters and a few evil werewolves hunting for you?" Skull Cowboy smiled.

"That could have been useful earlier." I shouted.

"Just keep in mind the crazy one is the only one you can trust." Skull Cowboy nodded his head and vanished into the shadows. "Oh and my boss is cursing up a storm because you're delaying his favorite show with this whole ordeal."

"Well you can tell your boss he can kiss my pale dead ass!" I shouted at the fading Cowboy.

A gun cocked behind me after that. I spun to see two of the ugliest bastards I had ever seen, this is including the ugly bastards that had killed me mind you, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"So I'm guessing your parent's are a pair of Mack Trucks?" I giggled.

"Hands up punk." The left ugly one spoke, he wasn't particularly amused by my joke.

"Or what?" I asked right before a bullet made its way through my skull. "Ok, that's getting to be an old joke right about now. First flaming crossbow bolts and now bullets…"

"I said hands up." He growled again.

"And I say: get the fuck out of my way." I snapped my head back up, the bullet hole healed completely. "Or prepare to get hit with the ugly stick… again."

"I'm so going to enjoy this." The other ugly came dashing up to me at an insane speed, but my arm flew out at a matching speed and knocked him into a wall.

"What do you know?" I admired my hand. "Didn't even break a bone." I heard the ugly guy adjust a shattered jaw. "Well of mine anyway."

A sudden shriek from the other one alerted me to a giant sword poking through its chest which vanished as the ugly guy vanished into ash. The person who had stabbed him was my Freddy-Boy and he was smiling like a maniac as he tore into the other one. When he was done he stood up and gave a crazy little laugh.

"Thanks fer sendin' them hunters me way." He said drunkenly.

"Awwww, did you hurt those guys." I whined. "You know I kinda liked'em, you know except for the whole mistaking me for a vampire part."

"So whut tribe you of, whut gripe you got wit me?" He turned to me, jaundiced diseased eyes. I remembered those eyes clearly.

We stood there for a few seconds before the bird landed on my shoulder. Then he laughed once more. "What's so funny?" I asked.

"You Corax?" He asked drunkenly. "I swear you guys come at the weirdest damn times."

"You mean you don't remember me?" I asked.

"Should I?" He asked as he sat on a turned over crate.

"One year ago…" I let the idea linger.

"Nothing." He grunted.

"Mitsu's Resturant…" I let the idea linger a little longer.

"Nope…" He looks a little worried. "Last year's been pretty much a blank since…" He recognizedme.

"Hi." I gave him my most psychotic smile.

"This ain't possible…" He stuttered. "Not even them leeches can bring the dead back like this."

"No, but magically inclined birdies can!" I chirp happily as the bird flies off my shoulder.

"I'll rip you to pieces!" He begins to change his form.

"Really! That's and old trick! I want something new!" I shouted as I delivered a jaw shattering kick to his protruding face. He snapped back up, a dazed look of confusion on his face.

"How'd…" He stumbles. "Not possible!" He broke for the alley's entrance.

I took a running kick at his back side, it sent him to the ground where I picked him up and tossed him into a wall, it shattered and he fell through into another bar, completely transformed. I could have sworn it was identical to the St. George too. It even had its own group of werewolves to great me.

"What the hell!" A large brown werewolf cursed as he transformed. "Are you fucking retarded or something?"

"Apparently." I said as I blinked and then ran for what I could consider my unlife, with a at least fifteen to twenty werewolves chasing me over the rooftops and through the alleys of my lovely home city.


	10. 10

**The Crow: Retribution**

**By THE Xenomorph (aka Xenomorph666)**

**The Crow is © James O'Barr**

**Garou** **and all other W.o.D. related articles are © White Wolf Publishing**

**All other Characters are © me and their Real life counterparts**

_**Graveyard Kung-Fu Fightin'**_

As I dashed over the roofs and through the alleys I became acutely aware that only two of the werewolves were actually continuing to chase me. Whether it was because I was moving to fast for the others or just because they had become bored, I never knew.

However, the chase soon ended as I came to a wide open graveyard, which I had absentmindedly run straight into. I spun to face the wolves, but I only caught their blurred forms as they ran off to my sides. A few seconds later I was surrounded by four werewolves, apparently I had miscounted, and unfortunately none of them were Freddy-Boy.

"Listen Dog-Soldiers, I don't have a problem with you, just your psychopathic human killing douche bag Red-Talon local and his comrades in killing." I said as I held my hands out to show I meant no harm. Of course my luck persisted and they promptly attacked me.

I managed to dodge the first several claw rakes with ease, but then one of them grabbed me and threw me into a tree. I got back up and gave the closest one an uppercut that sent it sprawling into a nearby gravestone where it cracked its skull. Then they backed off.

"What the heck is he?" A large grey wolf asked.

"A monster…" A silver one said.

"Fomorii." A spotted one growled.

"Oh, I know!" I said mockingly. "I'm a fucking CROW!" I regurgitated what the bird had told me earlier.

"Corax?" The silver one asked.

"No." I shook my head. "Crow; noun- a bird of the family of Corvus or the spirit of tragically slain individual returned to set the wrong things right, or as I like to say; kick some wolfy ass." That got them back on their feet, right along with half the graveyard.

"What the!" The grey wolf shouted. "YOU DID THIS!" He pointed a clawed finger at me.

"Hey, what's with the hating of the undead?" I shouted as several zombies shambled towards me, a few kung-fu kicks and their skulls were smashed in.

"Lousy little!" The spotted wolf tossed several zombies off of him. "They're everywhere!"

"Try going for the head." I said as I smashed several ore skulls in. "You know this is actually kind of fun!" The werewolves stopped and gave me an odd look. "Hello, returned from the dead one year after the fact, reality is a little skewed for me!"

A shotgun blast pulls our attentions to the gates.

"HUNTERS!" One of the wolves yelped as he picked up his unconscious comrade and fled with the others.

"Well, gee thanks for leaving me all alone with these freaks…" I pushed a zombie down, while several more bumped into me but did nothing. "Oh so now I'm not good enough to be zombie food?"

-You need to calm down.- The bird had returned.

"I need a name for you." I said, ignoring his advice. "How about 'Scout'?" I asked as several dozen men with flaming crossbows filtered into the graveyard and all focused on me. "I take that back, you're a lousy scout."

"In the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit we will consecrate your bodies to the ground starting with the intelligent one." A lead hunter with a lack trench coat, a face that looked like it had gone a round with a blender and lost and a rather large claymore shouted at me.

"If I could feel pain I'd fuck you over for it!" I shouted at the hunter, a second later my body was filled with flaming bolts while I just taped my foot impatiently. "So are you guys done now or do you have a Limit Breaker you want to use?" They looked at each other in a confused manner. "Jeez, you guys need to get a life!"

"UNHOLY DEMON!" The hunter shouted, "Fire again!"

"Jeez, Skull Cowboy was right…" I grumbled to myself as I walked towards them. The zombies had strangely returned to the earth. When I got in range they all drew their swords and knives and other weapons and started to attack me. That just ended up with me slapping them around with out breaking a sweat. Not that I could break a sweat anyway.

As I left the graveyard and plucked the last of the bolts from my body, I looked over my shoulder to see the hunters looking back at me and groaning. I hadn't killed a single one of them and I think that fact alone shocked them. At least they knew better than to bother me now. I hoped.

I then noticed the rising sun and normally that would tell me I needed some sleep, but being dead changed a few things. I needed to find my enemies, mainly Freddy-Boy, he had run out on my and I was a little disappointed by that.

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"**Y**ou're sure it was one of them?" The large Crinos form of Talons-of-Blood asked.

"Abso-fuckin'-lutely!" Freddy McCain snapped. "Bloody bastard put me through a brick wall."

"This is unfortunate then." Talons sighed. "We are so cursed. First humans populate the earth like a cancer and then when we remove a few cancer cells and are about to start the therapy…"

"They pop right up out of the blue." Freddy sighed, "I know what you mean."

"Yes, you may have been born to humans, but you have the heart of a wolf." Talons smiled as he petted his only possession, a copy of _The Art of War_, "And you have helped learn more about my enemy in only a few years than I could have ever hoped to learn on my own in my lifetime."

"So what do we do about this guy?" A mysterious voice asked.

"Bring me a Corax, clip its wings if necessary, if it doesn't know find a Nuwisha." Talons said.

"And if the Nuwisha doesn't know?" The voice asked.

"I'll handle it then." Talons said confidently.

"Sir." Two twin Asian girls entered, "Your public appearance is scheduled for this afternoon."

"Who woulda thunk it." Freddy smiled. "A motley crew like us on top of tha business world. Rivaling Pentex."

"Only until we strike." Talons smiled as he assumed his human shape. "Then the humans and the parasites that feed on them will be greatly reduced in number, while our numbers surge."

"Well then I'd best get the security set up, Mr. Chairman." Freddy smiled jovially as he gave a joking bow.

Talon let a cruel smile slip as well. "Please do Mr. McCain."

"Sir, whats wrong?" The twin with a ponytail on the right asked.

"A bitter memory from a year ago has surfaced on the wings of vengeance." Talons smiled. "Julia, Renee, please visit your mother for me when you get the chance, I wish to speak with her about her prayers."

"Of course Master Talons." The twins bowed.

"Leave me." Talons dismissed the twins. "Come get me when the appearance is to be made."

Talons-of-Blood stared out the window of his skyscraper. He had learned long ago that if he wished to stop the human threat to the world that he would have to give way to some necessary evils. He knew claws and jaws could not topple the mighty stone buildings and that no matter what their numbers where now, the Garou could not hope to control the humans or the evils that resulted from their experiments and numbers. He knew that to have any hope of control that the long forgotten Impregium would have to be repeated; the human herds had to be culled. Yet at the same time the Garou number would need to sky rocket. And that is where the undead creature became a problem. Whether or not it had come back to kill him and his pack did not matter so long as they had accomplished their goal. He only needed to hold the strange demon at bay for three more days and their goals would be complete. Three more days until the world choked on its own poisons and weeded out the week and unneeded and left only the strong humans and kin.

Still, he knew the legends; the Red Talons had a long oral history of these strange bird-men that had returned through out history to strike a terrible vengeance upon the humans that had struck them and their loved ones down. He knew the threat was legitimate, but so long as the pack was ignorant of the threat they would work with out error towards the ultimate end. The only question for Talons-of-Blood was how he could best distract the bird-man. He had ideas, but they were only that, ideas. He needed to know what the bird-man was and how to deal with it. Then a sudden thought occurred to him and he pressed the intercom on his desk.

"Julia, send a message to the local vampire Prince and Baron, I wish to discuss a mutually beneficial alliance." Talons smiled to him-self, the vampires were disgusting parasites, but even parasites had a use in the grand scheme of things.

"Yes sir." Julia responded.

"Soon little bird-man you will be to busy running for your un-life to even notice me." Talons looked out over the vast downtown city of Los Angeles and pressed the intercom down once more. "Who is the Prince anyway?"

"I don't know sir; the last one was blown up in the Ventrue Tower incident.**(&)**" Julia said. "Should I send it to one we know the most about?"

"That will have to do." Talons sighed. "Try to have it done before the appearance please."

"Of course sir." Julia said.

"Now all that is left is to wait for the leeches' response." Talons smiled inwardly once more.

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**(&): Reference to Vampire: The Masquerade-Bloodlines. Expect to see characters from that game. And yes Jack will be there. **


	11. 11

**The Crow: Retribution**

**By THE Xenomorph (aka Xenomorph666)  
****The Crow is © James O'Barr  
****Garou** **and all other W.o.D. related articles are © White Wolf Publishing  
****All other Characters are © me and their Real life counterparts**

_**And into night**_

I somehow made my way to downtown L.A. Not a place to be if you really value your life, so I was in a perfect spot really. The only problem was that all the things I needed to find my missing wolves were either sleeping or hiding, so I spent the morning perched on the gargoyle of a local business building.

Then night fell and I figured the best way to find the wolves I needed was to find someone who knew the city. Only problem was I didn't know who knew downtown and so I wandered the streets for a few hours until I came upon the worst little excuse for a bar this side of the river Styx. The minute I entered though, I regretted it, a group of people locked in on me immediately and did not take their eyes off of me. I figured them for more hunters, but I decided to ignore them and I walked over to the bartender. He was a large man with a giant tribal tattoo down his face; he also didn't look like he wanted to hear anything from me except an order.

"What'll it be?" He asked.

"I need to find some one who knows this town." I said plainly.

"Don't sell that here, try the Asylum in Santa Monica, I used to work there." He grinned darkly.

"Hm…" I pursed my lips impatiently and then grabbed the man by the neck and pulled him from behind the counter. "I need to find someone who knows the city." I repeated it slower this times as if I were talking to a child.

"You found him." I dropped the bartender and turned to the new voice. It belonged to pale guy, Hispanic from what I could tell, but he was that pale. He had a fatigue wearing red-headed sidekick and a tall black man right above him on the stairs. None of them looked happy that I had done what I did.

"Ah…" I smiled. "Name's Coleman." I smiled psychotically, "And I need some information on these lunatics…" I went to grab my files but they were gone. "Dammit I just got those files!"

"He's gotta be a hunter." I heard the red-head whisper to the Hispanic guy.

"No and I don't think they like me much." I smiled. "I didn't catch your names…"

"Nines…" The Hispanic man said as he pointed to himself and then to the black man and the red-head. "That's Skelter and that's Damsel and I'd introduce you to Charlemagne, but he's out right now."

"Well now." I extended my hand for a shake and Nines cautiously took it. Unfortunately that triggered a whole series of visions, horrifying visions of a fight between Nines and a large werewolf. Apparently the visions also had a physical effect on me as I found myself on the floor when the visions stopped.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Damsel snapped. "You a Malk or something?"

I flipped to my feet with a smile. "Let's go with something for right now."

"Let's talk upstairs." Nines eyed me warily.

As they led me upstairs I realized something, the only way he could have survived a werewolf fight was if he were equally supernatural. That left few options and since I doubted I was dumb enough to run into three werewolf bars in a row I left myself with just a single option. Of course it also explained why they were so pale.

"So, you a vampire or do you guys just paint your faces with Liquid Paper?" I asked as we crested the stairs.

"That answer depends on who or rather what is asking?" Skelter shoved me into a table, a second later he was on the floor from my own shove.

"Like I said, let's go with 'something' for right now." I glared psychotically at him and his friends, of which Damsel now held a gun to my head. "Desert Eagle, rare and powerful; won't do much!" I snapped around and ripped the gun from her hands and placed it against my temples where I blew my brains out and said brains promptly grew back. The group was in awe. "Thank you, thank you, I'm here till Thursday!"

"What the fuck?" Skelter shouted.

"I believe its called regeneration." I smiled. "Something a year old corpse should be doing the opposite of really."

"Year old?" Nines asked. "How's that even possible."

-Window. Open. Now. - Scout said in my head.

"One second." I said as I opened the window and Scout flew in. "That's Scout, he brought me back from the dead to kill some ugly werewolves, and I got no clues to go on now because the only info I had is probably in some dark alley right next to a werewolf hangout or in a zombie infested graveyard."

"So…" A new voice joined us as a tall pale man with a scraggly beard and denim clothes walked up the stairs. "You must be the guy that scared Eddy into closing up early."

"If Eddy is a British vampire with a huge gut and a tattoo shop, then yes." I smiled. A second later I was on the floor looking at the smiling bearded man.

"Don't scare Eddy again, or I'll make you wish that bird of yours was dead." He smiled darkly down at me.

-I don't like this guy…- Scout said nervously.

"Oh relax, Scout, it's not like he can do any worse than what happened the first time I died." I dismissed Scout's worries and got to my feet. "Good punch."

"Thanks. Name's Jack, just remember what I said, ok?" Jack glared at me and then looked at Nines. "Char should be up soon."

"What's he arguing with this time?" Nines groaned.

"Jukebox." Jack gave an evil smile. "Says it accused him of being a country music lover."

"Wow!" I tried to sound excited. "Sounds crazier than me."

"He's Malkavian, he's got a God-Damned right to be. Literally." Jack smiled.

"Yes, well unless any of you lovely fanged citizens of lovely downtown L.A. can tell me where I can locate a werewolf by the name of 'Talons of Blood', I'll just be leaving." I just snapped for no reason, the endless dialog between the vampires was beginning to take its toll on my remaining sanity or insanity; it was getting really hard to tell the difference now.

-Now you see why we like these things to be quick.- Scout spoke in a sardonic tone.

"Shut up bird." I snapped and then I realized the odd looks the vampires were giving me.

"Oh fear not fellow fanged ferocious brethren of the night ways, for this dramatically, cheerfully ironic fellow is here for purposes beyond ours." A soft male voice echoed up the stairs, I half expected a guy in some regal tux to walk up smiling happily as he sipped a wine bottle. What I saw was a lunatic in red shirt, blue pants, sandals and gold chain with a piece of cheese on the end. His eyes though, they were something else, like a window to another world that was foggy on our side, but has some clear spots that few were privy too.

"Interesting." I said in a flat tone.

"Interesting? You see the gypsy before you and you the Talbot-Killer can only say 'interesting'?" He looked offended by my like of response.

"I've had a rough couple of nights." My voice was flat once more.

"With more ahead of you that's for sure." He ran up to me and pointed a long finger to my face while bringing the right side of his face to my front, where he seemingly studied my face. "Oh yes, many more; Father Crow and Mother Raven have many deeds for you to complete and before this misadventure of misbegotten menagerie's of miraculous and most befuddled humans and night things is over you will know exactly of what this humble one speaks."

"Great, an oracle…" I groaned, now my mood was lightening and he finally pulled away from my face.

"An oracle; nay, an oracle speaks the words of gods and thus the words of men much more powerful than all of Zeus and Thor's might, pilled high upon the crossed planks and doubled over triangles and many signs of moons and stars. No, this one is no oracle, but a simple gypsy guide." He bowed and moved to a chair where he sat with a giggle.

"Ok…" I sighed, "Back to square one."

"The towers Ventrue." The prophet Charlemagne smiled.

"What?" I asked in slight confusion.

"The Ventrue towers." Nines said. "Used to be Camarilla turf, now some friendly wolves run it; and by friendly I mean friendly to the living, but anyway they're in direct business with the local Pentex reps who are get this one; werewolves. Problem is those wolves support the Camarilla and is trying to drive us out, but you don't need to know our politics to know that's not good."

"Well if they're in league with the werewolves that killed my friends, then no, I don't care what politics of yours are involved." I smirked, "But so far I got nothing to go on…" I made my way to the stairs.

"You said Talons of Blood, right?" Jack asked. "Funny thing about that name; it's been asking about a guy like you since yesterday and its voice is echoing from the Pentex Tower."

"Hot damn!" Skelter smiled. "I think we found a way to get those lousy Cammy's outta here for good!"

"I have this sinking feeling I'm going to be used in this plan." I growled angrily.

"You said you wanted those werewolves, right?" Nines asked, well we can get you into the building deep enough that they can't get you out with out making to big of a fuss."

"Huh?" I asked.

"A flew only drains blood from the surface, but a tick digs deep and hard for its blood; not even it's death stops its feeding." Charlemagne smiled. "A flea is but an annoyance, a tick, even but a single one may be but a death sentence even to the mighty wolves."

"Right…" I saw where this was going. Some cheap rip off of an action movie. They sneak me in, I kill everything and the game is over, but they forgot one single thing; I needed to be a volunteer for that and I wasn't about to play into their games. "Listen, it's not that I don't give a damn about your petty squabbles, which by the way I don't, but I think I'll get in on my own."

"What?" Nines looked as if he had choked on something. "You're serious?"

"Dead." I said simply as I walked down the stairs and out into the street where I realized the mistake I had made. I let my pride get in the way of vengeance.

-Don't worry.- Scout says in my head. –You'll figure this out.-

"Easy for you to say, you eat bird seed and crap all day." I growled as I walked away from the bar. "I need to get somewhere fast…"

Scout flew up silently and within seconds I felt like I was flying with him. I could even look through his eyes and down upon the world.

-Where too?- He asked me.

"Let's spy in on some of those werewolves from earlier." I smiled mentally. "Maybe Freddy came back."


End file.
